Valley Bounty: Vegetable starts

Grow your own vegetables this summer with help from local farms. Visit farmers markets and retailers to find a wide variety of bedding plants — and starts — suited for our region. Take advantage of the farmers’ knowledge: Ask about favorite varieties, space requirements and timing for transplanting. Put a pot of basil on your patio, plant salad greens for easy cutting just before dinner, or plan a snacking garden of snap peas and cherry tomatoes. Visit buylocalfood.org to find local sources of bedding plants, reading suggestions and information about gardening workshops.

Valley Bounty is written by Margaret Christie of Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA).